Australia scraps mine to save tiny creatures

Australian environmental authorities yesterday rejected a Canadian bid to build a mine at a major uranium deposit due to fears the project could threaten tiny underground wildlife.

Cameco, one of the world's biggest publicly listed uranium producers, wants to develop the Yeelirrie deposit in Western Australia after buying it from BHP Billiton four years ago.

But the state's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) yesterday said the project could threaten the viability of some species of tiny subterranean fauna.

"The stygofauna habitat at Yeelirrie is particularly rich, with 73 species recorded," said its chairman Tom Hatton.He said despite Cameco's "well-considered management strategies" the EPA concluded that "there was too great a chance of a loss of species that are restricted to the impact area".

Stygofauna, named after the Styx river in Greek mythology, are blind and colourless. Most live exclusively in groundwater, according to the Australian government.

Yeelirrie, 650 kilometres northeast of Perth, is one of Australia's largest undeveloped uranium deposits. Cameco estimates that the site holds about 127.3 million pounds of uranium.

Australia does not use nuclear power but is the world's third-ranking uranium producer behind Kazakhstan and Canada.